


A Secret Affair

by Kat (nyanface)



Category: Dark Souls, Dark Souls (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 09:39:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3805666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyanface/pseuds/Kat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artorias and Ciaran have had an ongoing intimate relationship, but have kept it hidden from all others as they are not allowed to abandon their duties to their kingdom. Now, Artorias is being called away to Oolacile and this may the last chance the two of them have to discuss the nature of their secret relationship.</p>
<p>Contains lots of self-indulgent tender romance!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Secret Affair

Night had fallen over the kingdom, the sun setting beyond the borders of Anor Londo to let its inhabitants rest. As the moon rose higher and higher in the sky, most of those residing within the main castle of Anor Londo retired to their quarters. Those who did not were primarily the sentinels, keeping watch and protecting the grand city through the night. Yet another remained awake, hiding within the shadows of the castle courtyard where few eyes lurked.

Knight Artorias leaned against a stone pillar near the wall of the courtyard, standing rather inconspicuously within the dark. Still, with his large size, he was really anything but invisible, and was spotted after only a few short minutes by the guard that patrolled the courtyard borders. Artorias quickly swept one hand behind his back, hiding it as he leaned back upon it.

"Ah, Knight Artorias," the sentinel greeted him with a short bow at the waist. "What brings thee here this late in the evening?"

"Another restless night, 'tis all. I am only here for some fresh air, and some quiet." Artorias glanced over his shoulder and around the pillar, in the direction of a running fountain. "Thou needst not patrol here for the next hour or so, whilst I am here. In fact I would prefer it, if thou wouldst continue thine patrol elsewhere for the time being."

The sentinel looked reluctant to comply, hesitating as he tried to calculate his response. But after he moment he conceded, giving a much deeper and more flourishing bow than he had previously, deciding very clearly not to question Artorias's will. "As thou wishest, my liege." The guard turned on one heel and left the courtyard altogether, the stillness settling once more in the castle garden.

Not five seconds later, a voice emerged from an incredibly deep shadow to his left. "Well that certainly didn't seem suspicious." Artorias turned and watched as a sarcastic looking Ciaran seemed to melt out from the shadows, one hand on her swaying hips. Even though she was wearing a mask, he could tell she was giving him a _look_. A playful one, but one nonetheless.

"Suspicious or not, he won't return. We're rid of him, for the time being," Artorias responded, a smile entering his voice as his tiny companion approached him. He leaned forward away from the stone pillar, craning over her as he pulled his concealed hand from behind his back. Between the armored plates on his gauntlet's fingers, he held the dark stem of a lush red rose. The petals flayed out soft and full like tender lips. The knight brought the blossom to his semi-hidden face and kissed the petals before holding it down for Ciaran to take.

Ciaran hesitated to take the flower from his hand, her slender fingers pausing inches from his own as she considered the gift. He waited eagerly for her response, before she at last pulled that stem from his fingers, her knuckles brushing against his. Even through their gloves, he relished in the brief contact, and longed for so much more.

"My, a red rose. How very original of you, my dear knight!" Ciaran teased as she played with those petals. Despite the teasing, she carefully removed her porcelain mask and azure helmet, her gold hair slightly mussed from having been kept underneath that armor the entire day. Artorias watched fondly as Ciaran reached behind her head and slid the slender stem into her braid, the blossom sitting snugly on the back of her head.

Artorias stroked one large hand along the locks of her bangs. "I find it says better what I fail to say with words alone."

"And what exactly is that, Artorias?"

The knight only smiled and said nothing, resting his fingertips on her cheek for a long and silent moment. He then took both of her small hands and lead her from the edge of the courtyard to the center of the large garden where the fountain trickled. It was shaded there by a large willow tree, dark and quiet and tranquil. He sat on the ground with his back resting against the thick trunk of the tree, slumping down slightly to reach her much shorter height. Even in this way, the swordsman was still taller than his fellow knight.

Ciaran took one light step up onto his lap to reach eye level with him; her light weight caused him no trouble, and he easily supported her on his legs. Dark eyes peered from beneath his helm and cowl straight back into her bright ones, and he couldn't help the ever growing smile on his face.

"Come out from in there," Ciaran whispered gently as she pushed his helm back, pulling it off of his head and letting it drop beside her own mask and helmet. His cowl fell from his head with the force of her hand, draping around his shoulders and revealing his young but scarred face, and the short black hair that was pressed down in all directions from too long under that armor.

He closed his eyes as he felt Ciaran brush her hands over his cheeks, cupping his face in her slender palms as she leaned forward to meet him. They fit almost naturally, his body taking the majority of her weight as they pressed together, the motion of their faces joining both fluid and passionate. Artorias brushed his much larger lips over Ciaran's sweet and small ones, like kissing a drop of honey. He wrapped his arms around her thin waist as they kissed, sinking further down the trunk of the tree so she could reach better, tilting her head downward against his own.

That first kiss lasted the longest, as it was filled with the most yearning. The two had been unable to meet so intimately in weeks, and all day long they had waited to find this moment alone, together. Once that kiss grew stale, the two drew back, only to meet again an instant later. Again and again they renewed that kiss, sweet and loving pecks never lasting more than a few seconds at a time, a conversation that said more than true words could ever say.

And yet Artorias felt the need to punctuate it regardless, tilting his forehead down, sliding away from her mouth. She kissed his forehead as he breathed against her throat, murmuring gently, "I love you."

His heart beat rapidly in his chest as he waited for her response, her nimble gloved fingers stroking through his hair while she placed more soft kisses down his forehead, to the bridge of his nose. "My sweet Artorias," she at last murmured back, lips moving over the shell of his ear. He pressed his face down against her shoulder, breathing softly against the crook of her neck through his nose. She smelled as she always had, perfumed lightly with lilac and lavender; he hadn't realized how much he'd missed her scent.

"I love you," he repeated softly, tilting his head up to kiss her where her neck met her jaw.

"So insistent," she responded playfully.

Artorias chuckled before pulling his face back, gauntlet cupping her cheek as he stared into her eyes once more. He had always felt that where her eyes would pierce so many others, they would soften only for him. "I love you, Ciaran," he said once more, slowly and with care.

Ciaran pressed one hand over his own. "I love you, Artorias," she conceded, closing her eyes as she let out a soft sigh. "Whatever are we going to do?"

Artorias's smile fell somewhat in response to her question. He knew she had meant it in jest, partially, but he also knew that it was an entirely legitimate concern of hers, a question that he truly did not have an answer for. Both of them were duty-bound. While they couldn't help loving one another, Artorias knew that it was not allowed for them to be together in this way. They had sacred oaths to their kingdom to uphold, and thus marrying was out of the question for either of them, especially to one another.

Artorias pressed his face to the other knight's, his lips pecking the button of her nose. "Please, I don't want to speak of this now." He tilted his head and enclosed her mouth once more with a deep and passionate kiss, tongue playing against the entrance her lips formed. All in an attempt to keep her from talking. Ciaran seemed to indulge him for a time, her smaller tongue intermingling with his, dancing with his. But Ciaran was nothing if not stubborn, and after a few minutes, pulled away entirely- her face, her body, her hands- to stand on Artorias's thighs and look down at him sternly. Those hands went to her hips as she furrowed one slender brow at him, her gaze as serious as she could manage with her cheeks clearly flushed red.

"Alright, Artorias. That's enough. I do want to talk about this, we can not put it off another day."

Artorias hid his face within his large hands, moaning softly. "Please, allow me one more night with you." He peeked through his fingers at her, frowning deeply. "This may be our last, for who knows how long. I must leave for Oolacile tomorrow morning."

"And that is precisely why we need to talk of this now." Her strict voice was unrelenting as she reached up and pulled one hand from his face, taking it between both of her own.

He squeezed her hands lightly, letting his other fall away from his face as he looked off to the side, refusing eye contact while making a terrible pout. He knew he wasn't going to win this, but he wasn't going to pretend he was at all pleased by it either.

Ciaran only scoffed at him, but decided to be somewhat merciful by pressing against his side, her back to his chest. Artorias curled one arm around her, holding her close. At least the close contact would make the conversation bearable.

"You know, keeping this affair a secret is becoming rather tiresome, and difficult," Ciaran started, snaking one arm around his. "Some are beginning to wonder. The other Lord's Blades suspect... and Sir Gough, I fear, has already figured it out."

"That sly giant. He sees far too well sometimes, and understands far too much," Artorias grumbled.

"His heart is the size of a boulder, it was to be expected that he would understand us so well. Yet I'm not so concerned for him. Sir Gough is good-natured and, as you might imagine, does not think much of customs," Ciaran mused, shaking her head lightly. "However, I do wonder that if we continue this, how well we will be able to hide it from all the others. Especially given your lack of subtlety, Artorias."

Artorias snorted as he kissed the top of her head. "I fear for your rank, more than mine own. If the Lord's Blades discovered their leader had broken her vows, if Lord Gwyn were to find out..." His heart sank, fluttering to the pit of stomach slowly as though dropped through a pool of water. "If we cannot keep it secret, I must implore you once more that we abandon this correspondence, Ciaran. For your sake. I wish not to take away from you all that you have worked so hard to achieve."

Ciaran turned her gaze upwards, glaring fiercely at him, her eyes like daggers. She reached up and pulled his nose none too nicely, a mean little pinch that stung sharply like a bee sting. "Don't you dare start this again, acting as though you are better than me, as though my rank is not as significant. Why should my choice to lie with you affect only my rank and not yours? Do you realize how scathing such attitudes are?"

Artorias blushed violently and turned away his eyes, but said nothing.

Ciaran sneered incredulously at him. "I am not just some maiden, Artorias, whose entire life you can take away with a kiss or a wedding band. I am not so fragile. You would do well to remember that."

"I understand that, Ciaran, but customs denote-"

"They denote that you are to remain unwed and loyal to your king, just the same as I. Do not pretend otherwise. Our courtship affects you just as well, my love."

Artorias sighed and nuzzled into her hair, squeezing her apologetically. "Yes, you are right. But still I fear others may be more forgiving of me than they would of you. I do not mean to sound as though I deserve such lenience, but I believe others may still grant it to me."

Ciaran fell silent, fingers drumming against Artorias's arm in thought. She pressed her cheek to the cold metal of his plate mail. "And yet," she spoke quietly, "you would take such lenience if it were granted. Do not deny it. If I were to be cast from my rank, you would cling to yours, you would hang on to your pride and honor. Rather than fight for mine own."

"What? No, I..." Artorias swallowed hard. He feared where this conversation was going. "Please, let's not do this."

Ciaran did not relent, twisting in his grip to look him in the eye, using her fingers to keep his chin in place so he could not look away. "Would you not, Artorias? You are so ready to abandon me for what you claim is my sake."

"No, Ciaran, that isn't what I meant! I love you, I love you more than anything!"

"Do not lie to me!" Her words pierced his skin, stabbing into his beating heart and stopping it cold. She let the knifelike words hang in the air for a long and drawn out moment, breathing heavily. Ciaran then slowly took his right hand, brushing her fingers over his Wolf Ring, the symbol of his sworn fealty to Lord Gwyn. "You love this ring more than I."

"That's not true!" Artorias protested loudly.

"Really?" Ciaran narrowed her eyes at him, considering him for a moment. She then turned her attention back down to his hand. She gripped the ring carefully between her index finger and her thumb, and began to slip it from him. Artorias let out a short gasp and clenched his hand shut, pulling it from her. She looked back up at him, eyes bleak and empty, twisting the knife in his heart. "As I thought."

"Ciaran, do not ask me to choose between you and our kingdom," Artorias pleaded softly. "You can not make me choose."

"Artorias, I do not want to make you choose, truly I do not... And yet 'tis a choice you must make all the same." Ciaran leaned back away from him, her expression deep and serious. "We cannot keep doing this forever. Sooner or later it will have to end. And I have a right to know if you would stand by my side, or if you would leave me..."

"I would fight for your rank, Ciaran, but that is all you have any right to ask of me," Artorias insisted, his brows knit tightly in despair.

Her gaze darkened. "And if we were forbidden from seeing one another again? You could live with that, Knight Artorias?"

Artorias's sad look quickly turned into a resentful scowl. The very thought of such a scenario pained him to his core, and he did not like such loaded questions or their implications. "What, exactly, are asking of me? What is it that you want from me?"

"I want to know what I'm _worth_ to you, Artorias!" Ciaran shouted, hitting her palm flatly against his chest plate. "I want to hear you say that you would give up everything for me!"

"Would you?!"

Ciaran was silenced by his response, pain in her expression. She looked down, away from him, to her own right hand. Artorias watched as she played with the Hornet Ring on her finger, twisting it back and forth. And then, after only a moment of play, she slipped off the tiny ring, considering it. Gently, she took Artorias's hand and pressed the ring into his palm. It felt like it would puncture a hole in his hand from the weight it carried. "Yes. If you would have me, I would give up the world to be with you, to have you as my husband."

Artorias let out a noise of genuine surprise, a soft cry of confusion. He hadn't been expecting such an answer from her. "Ciaran, your rank means everything to you... I do not understand."

"My dear Artorias," she whispered, resting her forehead against his chest, hiding her face. "My rank means nothing, if I can not have you as well. And... I want you to feel the same. But I know that you do not."

They remained like that, in still silence, for a time, letting the weight of her declaration and her honest belief that he did not love her so pull down on his shoulders. Artorias closed his eyes, his whole chest tightening with despair. He sunk his nose into her hair and breathed in deeply, his breath shuddering as his heart felt as though it would leap from his throat. Both of his arms hugged her as close as he could manage. He considered her words, rolling over them delicately in his mind, trying to find response, but no words came to him. But then, he always had managed to say better with actions what he couldn't with words.

Artorias made a decision. He leaned back away from her and placed both of his large hands on her shoulder, pulling her from his chest slightly to look her in the eye. He'd only realized now that, while hiding her face, she'd been crying, wet tears streaking down her face and turning her soft blue eyes red. Artorias quickly pulled his gauntlets from his hands, using both of his callused thumbs to brush away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "Shhh, shh," he comforted softly, tears pricking at his own eyes. He hadn't meant to hurt her so.

Ciaran tried to look away but Artorias guided her face back towards his, keeping his eyes on her. He took her left hand gently, pulling off the glove to reveal her bare skin. He relished in that sense of touch they had been lacking before, the intimate feeling of his rough fingers against her softer skin. He brought the back of her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles as his large fingers squeezed her palm. Then, slowly, Artorias took the Hornet Ring she had given to him and slipped it, most deliberately, onto her ring finger.

Ciaran watched him as he executed the carefully calculated action, staring at the ring sitting in its new position on the vena amoris that connected her hand to her heart. Artorias sought her face carefully for a reaction, unable to read her expression at first.

At last, she smiled. "Whatever are we going to do?"

Artorias beamed, laughing softly as he weaved his large fingers with her little ones and kissed the ring softly. "A secret engagement, for now. When I return from Oolacile, we make the announcement to Captain Ornstein, and we fight for our ranks. If we are cast out..." He took her face in his hands and planted a soft kiss upon her lips, smiling at her. "Then so be it."


End file.
